Punjab polls: BJP to take another week to declare its candidates

Even as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have already announced majority of their nominees for the coming assembly polls in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may yet take another week to reach consensus over its candidates.

Punjab BJP chief,Vjay Sampla, who will launch the party’s ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’ from Hussainiwala in Ferozepur on Thursday, ruled out any differences among state party leaders.(HT File Photo)

Even as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have already announced majority of their nominees for the coming assembly polls in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may yet take another week to reach consensus over its candidates.

“All is not well within the state BJP leadership. A group opposed to state party president Vijay Sampla has decided to convey its ‘inputs’ for various nominees ‘directly’ to the party high command, which could delay the announcement of candidates,” party sources told HT on condition of anonymity.

“Though it is almost final to field all the sitting MLAs from their respective seats, except aging leaders Bhagat Chunni Lal and Madan Mohan Mittal, and rebel MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu who has now joined the Congress, candidates for the seats lost by the party in 2012 polls are yet to be decided,” they said.

“Two days ago, Sampla had a consultations with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leadership in the state on the issue. For the seats lost by the party in 2012 polls, a panel of two to three names has been recommended to the party high command,” the sources said.

When contacted, Sampla, who will launch the party’s ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’ from Hussainiwala in Ferozepur on Thursday, ruled out any differences among state party leaders. “We have finalised the names and forwarded a panel of candidates to the party high command. The list for all 23 seats to be contested by the party will be released within a week,” he added.